Spike Lee Reportedly Furious After ‘Green Book’ Won Oscar For Best Picture

BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee showed an array of different emotions during the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 24. While the 61-year-old filmmaker was more than ecstatic to win his very first Oscar earlier in the evening, he was reportedly visibly upset after learning that he did not win the night’s top prize, Best Picture.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Lee was so excited that he jumped into the arms of presenter Samuel L. Jackson after winning the award for writing the best adapted screenplay with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, and Kevin Willmott.

However, after actress Julia Roberts announced that the movie Green Book was the winner of the Best Picture Oscar — and not BlacKkKlansman — Lee was seen “waving his arms in disgust and appearing to try to storm out of the Dolby Theatre before he was stopped at the doors” and told to return to his seat, according to a Twitter post from Associated Press reporter Andrew Dalton.

Deadline‘s on-site reporter also saw Lee’s outrage and reported that he got “into an intense conversation with Jordan Peele” after Green Book was announced and then had his back to the stage as the winners gave their acceptance speeches.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Lee later told reporters backstage how he felt about losing the Best Picture Oscar.

Lee was alluding not only to Green Book, but to the 1990 Academy Awards ceremony in which Driving Miss Daisy won several awards and his film, Do the Right Thing, won none.

“I thought I was courtside at the Garden and the refs made a bad call,” he added, poking fun at his love for the New York Knicks basketball team.

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Meanwhile, Lee’s outfit also caused quite a frenzy at the Academy Awards. As a tribute to the late musician Prince, he sported a custom-made gold, diamond, and opal necklace shaped into the iconic artist’s trademark symbol, and an all-purple ensemble featuring a matching jacket and pants suit by Ozwald Boateng, a shirt, a tie, glasses, and a cap. He finished off his look with gold Air Jordan sneakers by Tinker Hatfield that were commissioned by Michael Jordan.

He also wore two large knuckle rings that had the words “LOVE” and “HATE” on them. The jewelry will be familiar to fans of Do the Right Thing as Bill Nunn’s character, Radio Raheem, wore the rings in the film, noted People.